Pima tribe purchases naming rights to home of Phoenix Suns
Dec 2, 2014, 10:51 PM | Updated: 10:54 pm
PHOENIX — US Airways Center in Phoenix will soon be no more, at least in name.
The Phoenix Suns announced Tuesday the facility will be called Talking Stick Resort Arena when the current deal expires with US Airways in 2015. The naming rights were sold to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
“We could not be more excited about our expanded relationship with Talking Stick Resort,” Phoenix Suns President Jason Rowley said in a release.
The Suns confirmed in September that US Airways, in the process of merging with American Airlines, did not opt to renew naming rights. The airline, which owns naming rights of arenas in Dallas and Miami, decided it made no sense from a marketing standpoint to have three buildings.
The new name will be the arena’s third. It was branded America West Arena when it opened in 1992 and was changed to US Airways Center in 2005.
In addition to the Suns, the arena is also home to the Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers and hosts concerts.
KTAR’s Clayton Klapper contributed to this report.
